Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Monday, March 18th, 2002 -
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) today heralded the launch of the
Digital Speech Project: an effort to encourage and coordinate
activism to protect our digital freedoms in light of the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and similar laws. The FSF has hired
a Digital Freedom Organizer, Jonathan Watterson, to work actively on
the the Digital Speech Project.

Bradley M. Kuhn, vice president of the FSF, explained FSF's interest
in this project: “The FSF focuses on the fight for software freedom,
but we realize that without related freedoms, software freedom can
easily be eroded. The Digital Speech Project fights for the freedom
of all users of all technology from legislative technology control
measures like the DMCA and the proposed proposed Security Systems
Standards and Certification Act (SSSCA). These laws do menace
software freedom, but we hope to educate the public that these laws
threaten many different and important freedoms.”

Watterson added: “The DMCA hurts everybody—software developers,
technology companies, computer users, authors, artists, musicians,
filmakkers, and anyone who benefits and enjoys a free marketplace of
creative expression. I am excited that the FSF has taken on this
issue, and that FSF recognizes that Free Software supporters share
common ground on this issue with many other groups”.

The Digital Speech Project has begun the process of coordinating
activists at universities, colleges, and communities around the USA
to work against the DMCA. It also offers information about the DMCA,
the SSSCA and how you can help on its website, http://digitalspeech.org/.

Those interested in forming a local Digital Freedom group are encouraged
to contact Jonathan Watterson directly.

About Free Software Foundation:

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting
computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute
computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as
in freedom) software—particularly the GNU operating system and its
GNU/Linux variants—and free documentation for free software. The FSF
also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of
freedom in the use of software. Their web site, located at
http://www.gnu.org, is an important source of information about
GNU/Linux. They are headquartered in Boston, MA, USA.